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County Union Gets Raise, Before Collins Negotiates

Buffalo, NY (WBEN) - As an incentive to draw the county’s blue-collar work force to the bargaining table, The Erie County Legislature has approved a one percent pay hike for AFSCME Local 1095, despite objections from County Executive Chris Collins who vows to try and stop it, possibly with intervention from Buffalo’s Fiscal Control Board.

The legislature approved the $1 million cost-of-living increase Thursday, because the lack of a contract with the 1,600 workers left them without cost-of-living increases given other unions over the past two years.

"It was … specifically for the year 2005, and it is a one- time payment for the local employees," says Legislator Betty-Jean Grant.

"The signal this sends to the unions is to bypass the county executive’s office and go across the street to the legislature, where they are going to be very open minded about handing out money we don’t have,"

--Erie County Executive Chris Collins

The raises will be lump-sum payments of about$600 per worker with a total county cost of approx. $1 million. They come in a year when Collins and his administration face contract negotiations with all 7 unions in the county’s workforce.

"It’s a budget breaker. It would indicate our legislators think we don’t have a fiscal budget crisis, but in fact we do, and we have a hard control board because of it. This is just a bad …vote, which long-term is going to impact.. my ability to negotiate in good faith,” Collins said, on the same day when legislators rejected a proposed $30,000 salary increase for his County Attorney-designate Cheryl Green.

"I would call it a million-dollar payoff to the AFSCME union special interests, which was highly irresponsible move by our legislature," Collins says. "

"The signal this sends to the unions is to bypass the county executive’s office and go across the street to the legislature, where they are going to be very open minded about handing out money we don’t have," Collins said.

The legislature passed the measure with the belief that it would not need approval from the county fiscal control board. Collins says he is not sure whether the board can stop the raise, but he hopes to explore that Friday.

In 2006, a fact finder recommended that the county give AFSCME a 7 percent raise, but only if they were willing to accept longer summer hours, fewer sick days, and higher health insurance contributions. They union rejected that and remained at impasse with then county-executive Joel Giambra.

Konst and the 3 Republicans

These 4 are the only legislators who have their heads out free and clear where the Sun Does Shine.

Who in their right mind would vote to approve any pay increase during a collective bargaining impasse where the average salaries are a mighty friendly $33K already? Answer? Brain Dead Democrats who happily chomp at the unions' troughs all year long every year.

Labor costs are the number one budget crusher for the county. Even the AFSCME fact-finder who recommended raises did so ON THE CONDITION OF CONCESSIONS. This stipend is a free-bee and will do NOTHING to coax labor into seeing their necessary role in rolling back the cost of government.

This is not how negotiations work.

C'mon folks, cola is not an entitlement! These workers have been getting their annual step increases, so it is not like they have been working under a total wage freeze.

Bottom line is this: IF you think you are underpaid, GET ANOTHER JOB. If you cant find another job, realize that you are receiving what the market will pay you for your skill set.

Oh and by the way, Laughren's vote in opposition doesnt win him any points. This knucklehead wanted to give more

It is OK to spend $720k-$1M on $600 bonus checks to workers who already have a better job then what they could get in the private sector. Yet $30k is too much to fill a job that someone in the private sector does not.

Added to this, the union leaders are calling the bonus a joke! Well if it is a joke, then do not take it!

It is OK to spend $720k-$1M on $600 bonus checks to workers who already have a better job then what they could get in the private sector. Yet $30k is too much to fill a job that someone in the private sector does not.

Added to this, the union leaders are calling the bonus a joke! Well if it is a joke, then do not take it!

From The Newspiece Quoted Above

Originally Posted by run4it

Were the raises to satisfy an already existing contract?

ANSWER: NO

Explanation:

The legislature approved the $1 million cost-of-living increase Thursday, because the lack of a contract with the 1,600 workers left them without cost-of-living increases given other unions over the past two years.

These workers have been getting their annual step increases, so it is not like they have been working under a total wage freeze.

Glad you brought that up! Collins whining about the legislature is kind of funny because they dumped on his hiring that attorney at top longevity instead of entry level, and his wanting to increase the pay rates of the other three appointees.
Once upon a time, another Executive gave a bunch of his appointees improper pay raises at the expense of the working civil servants, have you forgotten Joel Giambra already?
Good to see that one of his buddies, that park worker, Syracuse got dumped for spending time in his bar. Both he and his co-"worker" were Giambra appointees.
Collins is no different.

Glad you brought that up! Collins whining about the legislature is kind of funny because they dumped on his hiring that attorney at top longevity instead of entry level, and his wanting to increase the pay rates of the other three appointees.
Once upon a time, another Executive gave a bunch of his appointees improper pay raises at the expense of the working civil servants, have you forgotten Joel Giambra already?
Good to see that one of his buddies, that park worker, Syracuse got dumped for spending time in his bar. Both he and his co-"worker" were Giambra appointees.
Collins is no different.

Waaa Waaa Waaaaaa!

Yeah he is different. He's made tons of money from....hmmmm...managing money!